Nokia Tests HSUPA Data Call with WCDMA Base Station

Nokia and Singaporean mobile operator MobileOne (M1) have carried out the first High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) data call in Southeast Asia. The call was conducted in a test environment using a Nokia Flexi WCDMA Base Station and Nokia's HSUPA-capable device.

The successful trial proved that the connection from device to the 3G network can now reach a data rate of 1.45 Mbps which is up to 4 times over existing 3G speeds. For instance, a typical 10 MB video file transfer over HSUPA network takes less than a minute to upload, as compared to a minimum of 3 minutes using today's 3G speeds. HSUPA is thus ideal for sending large data files, such as photos and videos.

"M1 has always been keen to adopt new technologies to bring the best quality of mobile experience to our customers. Today's trial proves our strong commitment to continuously develop our service offerings. This has been made possible through collaboration with our supplier, Nokia," says Neil Montefiore, Chief Executive Officer of M1. "This trial has convinced us that the performance of wireless broadband based on WCDMA 3G technology is improving, and this will make it competitive against fixed broadband."

"This was Nokia's first HSUPA data call made with the Nokia Flexi WCDMA Base Station and a Nokia device in collaboration with an operator, and the quality of the call was excellent," says Ricky Corker, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Networks, Nokia. "This trial has shown that the Nokia Flexi WCDMA Base Station is well poised to support HSUPA which will be commercially available in 2007, in line with overall evolution of the wireless broadband business based on UMTS technology."

Nokia has been working with M1 since 1997, as the sole supplier for M1's GSM and WCDMA 3G networks. In July 2006, Nokia was awarded Singapore's first HSPA contract by M1."

Posted to the site on 19th December 2006